Rodman (DD 456) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 15 text:

- turned about and after a short search contact was made on another Ger RODMAN group was low on fuel and was relieved by a fresh group which days later. ' 'a beer party was given for the crews of the successful ships- The RODMAN overnight, and the next day she received orders to proceed to Plymouth, Eng- the Invasion of Normandy.

Page 14 text:

There then began a seventy-four hunt which resulted in the sinldnl el general track of the submarine it appeared that she was trying to rmd Spain. The submarine was attacked with depth charges again and , badly damaged, none of these attacks was fatal. As the attack contilwd dl marine were becoming exhausted and the submarine was in great Bi U them. During the last night she became so desperate that she audi with one of the ships, but she was quickly forced to dive again. By the morning of the 17th the hunt had brought the ships just outside th the coast of Spain, and it was evident that if the submarine was not IRR At 0715 in the morning contact was regained and the submarine Wu Ink with depth charges. l This attack damaged her so badly that the U-Boat commander Win at 0808 he surfaced. The submarine was quickly sunk by the combild Killer group. Fifty three survivors of the submarine were rwovercd, I recovered twenty seven, including the Commanding Oflicer. 0 i While returning to Oran at high speed several violent etplouinm Shlp. It was at first thought to be an aerial bomb, but aim' Q reasoned that it must have been a torpedo exploding in the wake 61 lil K

Page 16 text:

NORMANDY AND CHERBOURG--Jana 6. llllii The'iRODMAN arrived at Normandy at about noon on D-Day. after iafdy UKQ large convoy of landing craft, of which she was the escort commander. Ou uvinl th was ordered to the area screen, an assignment she kept during most of the It WR ing a night air attack that the RODMAN shot down ' her first plane, A JU-88 thlt an bomb our ships in the area. Near the middle of the operation the RODMAN returned to England for supplies. to the area, she carried as a passenger, Major General William Porter, USA., head oi tht U. Chemical Warfare Service. As a climax to the invasion of Normandy the RUDMAN participated in the r Cherbourg. On June 25th a Task Force consisting of two U. S. blttleshipl, two S. cruisers, two British light cruisers, and a mixed force of U. S. and Britilh 6yUl'l into Cherbourg, France, to neutralize the port's defences. It was during thin g gg RODMAN fired on German held soil for the first time, in silencing some M :ig guns. Severaltimes the ship was straddled by eight and eleven inch nhl, 1 man was slightly wounded by shrapnel, the ship itself emerged ungggqg,